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  • Ricinus communis L. Euphorbiaceae Castor oil plant. Palma Christi. Distribution: Mediterranean, E Africa, India. The seeds themselves are pretty, brown, bean-like usually with gold filigree markings on them, and the interior of the seed is the source of castor oil. The outer coat of the seed is the source of the poison ricin, famous (infamous) for the umbrella murder of Georgi Markov on Waterloo Bridge in 1978. The KGB are alleged to have killed Georgi Markov, a dissident Bulgarian journalist, with a pellet containing 0.28mgm of ricin fired into his leg using a specially adapted air gun in an umbrella. While his symptoms were those of ricin poisoning, no ricin was ever found in the pellet that was extracted from his leg. Two seeds, chewed and ingested are said to be fatal, but most people vomit and get rid of the toxin. Ducks are resistant to ricin, and need to ingest more than 80 to be fatal! In Peru the leaves are used as a tea for stomach ache, although they contain small amounts of ricin. It is called Palma Christi in early herbals because of the five pointed leaves, which schematically represent a hand. It is a monotypic genus in the spurge family. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Ricinus communis L. Euphorbiaceae Castor oil plant. Palma Christi. Distribution: Mediterranean, E Africa, India. The seeds themselves are pretty, brown, bean-like usually with gold filigree markings on them, and the interior of the seed is the source of castor oil. The outer coat of the seed is the source of the poison ricin, famous (infamous) for the umbrella murder of Georgi Markov on Waterloo Bridge in 1978. The KGB are alleged to have killed Georgi Markov, a dissident Bulgarian journalist, with a pellet containing 0.28mgm of ricin fired into his leg using a specially adapted air gun in an umbrella. While his symptoms were those of ricin poisoning, no ricin was ever found in the pellet that was extracted from his leg. Two seeds, chewed and ingested are said to be fatal, but most people vomit and get rid of the toxin. Ducks are resistant to ricin, and need to ingest more than 80 to be fatal! In Peru the leaves are used as a tea for stomach ache, although they contain small amounts of ricin. It is called Palma Christi in early herbals because of the five pointed leaves, which schematically represent a hand. It is a monotypic genus in the spurge family. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Asphodeline lutea Rchb. Yellow asphodel, King's spear, Hastula regia. Hardy rhizomatous perennial. Distribution Mediterranean and Caucasus. It is the flower of the dead, as Homer writes that it carpets an area in the gloomy darkness of the underworld (Hades), in Greek mythology where the souls of the dead are found. However this may be a misinterpretation of the Greek where 'Asphodel' has been read instead of 'ash-filled'. In the etymology of flower names, it is suggested that the yellow 'daffodil' is a corruption of French or Flemish 'de asphodel' (both ex Steve Reece, 2007). An Aristotelian epigram, refers to it growing on tombs: 'On my back I hold mallow and many-rooted asphodel ...' The asphodel was sacred to Persephone, goddess of the underworld, who was seized and wed by Hades, god of the underworld, and taken to his kingdom. Her disappearance brings the winter, and her reappearance each year, the spring. The only reliable source of information about its early medical uses is, probably, Dioscorides although the plant in his De Materia Medica may be A. ramosus or A. albus. He gives its properties as diuretic, induces menses, good for coughs and convulsions, an antidote to snake bite, applied as a poultice for sores of all sorts, and in compounds for eye, ear and tooth pains, and to cure alopecia and vitiligo, but induces diarrhoea and vomiting and is an anti-aphrodisiac. Fuchs (1542), as Ruel’s commentaries (1543) note, makes a big mistake as he has Lilium martagon as his concept of A. luteus. Ruel only illustrates its leaves and roots, calling it Hastula regia (Latin for King’s spear) but Matthiolus's Commentaries (1569 edition) has a reasonable woodcut also as Hastula regia (1569). Dodoen's Cruydeboeck (1556) does not mention or illustrate Asphodelus luteus. L'Escluse's French translation Histoire des Plantes (1557) follows the Cruydeboeck. Dodoen's Latin translation Stirpium Historia Pemptades Sex (1583) adds A. luteus with text and woodcut, with no uses. Henry Lyte's (1578) translation illustrates Asphodelus luteus as Asphodeli tertia species and 'Yellow affodyl' (vide etymology of 'daffodil') and also does not describe any uses for it. Gerard's translation The Herbal (1597 and 1633) continues the muddle and does not give any uses for this plant. Parkinson's comments (1640) on the lack of medicinal properties of asphodels, refer to quite different plants coming from wet areas in Lancashire, Scotland and Norway . He calls them pseudoasphodelus major and minor which he writes are called Asphodelus luteus palustris by Dodoens, and not 'King's Spear' which he illustrates with a good woodcut of A. luteus and calls it Asphodelus luteus minor. Once herbals started to be written in northern Europe, the knowledge of the arid loving, Asphodelus luteus of south east Europe was lost. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Norovirus - colour-enhanced
  • The question "Waiter, where can I have a puke?" advertising a quiz on alcohol abuse. Colour lithograph by Nationaal Instituut voor Gezondheidsbevordering en Ziektepreventie, 2000.
  • Usos aceptados por el consejo de quimica y farmacia de la Asociación Medica Americana de la Dramamine ... / G.D. Searle & Co. ; distribuído por: Enrique Ferreyros y Cia., S.A.
  • Plegicil : neurolplégico : gran actividad, dosis terapeuticas bajas / Laboratoires Clin-Comar ; hecho en Mexico por: Labfarmex, S.A.
  • Plegicil : neurolplégico : gran actividad, dosis terapeuticas bajas / Laboratoires Clin-Comar ; hecho en Mexico por: Labfarmex, S.A.
  • The rulers of Europe as doctors prescribing remedies for Empress Maria Theresa. Etching and letterpress, 1742.
  • TEM of Norovirus
  • Neuroplagico Largactil : lo que hay que saber del: Largactil ... / marcas Rhône Poulenc Specia.
  • Neuroplagico Largactil : lo que hay que saber del: Largactil ... / marcas Rhône Poulenc Specia.
  • Neuroplagico Largactil : lo que hay que saber del: Largactil ... / marcas Rhône Poulenc Specia.
  • Neuroplagico Largactil : lo que hay que saber del: Largactil ... / marcas Rhône Poulenc Specia.
  • Neuropléjico Largactil : lo que es preciso saber del: Largactil ... / Société parisienne d'expansion chimique.
  • Neuropléjico Largactil : lo que es preciso saber del: Largactil ... / Société parisienne d'expansion chimique.
  • Neuropléjico Largactil : lo que es preciso saber del: Largactil ... / Société parisienne d'expansion chimique.
  • A woman holding a man's head while he is sick into a bowl. Coloured lithograph.
  • A male patient is hanging by his feet from an apparatus, a large worm (?) is passing from his mouth into a bowl, assisted by a surgeon and two assistants. Process print after a woodcut, 1497.
  • Nautisan : bei nervösem Erbrechen der Säuglinge, Pertussis, Chorea, azetonämischem Erbrechen usw.
  • TEM of Noroviruses
  • Negligence and idleness represented as a dishevelled woman surrounded by people gambling, drinking, fighting etc. Engraving attributed to P. Galle.
  • The new therapy bulletin. Bulletin no. 2 / Clinical Department of the Chattanooga Vibrator Instrument Company.
  • The new therapy bulletin. Bulletin no. 2 / Clinical Department of the Chattanooga Vibrator Instrument Company.
  • En la arteriosclerosis, hipertonia, angina de pecho, y espasmos vasomotores, Iocapral vasorregulador : Luminal ... Luminal Sodico ... Luminaletas / Winthrop Products Inc.
  • En la arteriosclerosis, hipertonia, angina de pecho, y espasmos vasomotores, Iocapral vasorregulador : Luminal ... Luminal Sodico ... Luminaletas / Winthrop Products Inc.
  • Cuando el vómito es incontrolable prescriba Bonamina ... : Terramicina SF, Tetracyna SF ... suprime más rápidamente la infección, favorece la convalencia / Laboratorios Pfizer, S.A.
  • Suprime más rápidamente la infección, favorece la convalencia ...Terramicina SF, Tetracyna SF ... : Cuando el vómito es incontrolable prescriba Bonamina ... / Laboratorios Pfizer, S.A.
  • Cuando el vómito es incontrolable prescriba Bonamina ... : Terramicina SF, Tetracyna SF ... suprime más rápidamente la infección, favorece la convalencia / Laboratorios Pfizer, S.A.
  • Suprime más rápidamente la infección, favorece la convalencia ...Terramicina SF, Tetracyna SF ... : Cuando el vómito es incontrolable prescriba Bonamina ... / Laboratorios Pfizer, S.A.